When do I need to contact a mental health professional?

Life experiences too often include those that are uncomfortable and a challenge to manage. Many find adequate assistance through internal strength and/or their external support system. It is normal to experience temporary anxiety, fear, anger, increase in heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, nausea, changes in appetite, and sleep disturbance. While uncomfortable, these are signs that you are successfully mobilizing yourselves to master the current situation (Caplan 1999).

Counseling can be helpful to “tune up” or maximize one’s internal performance. It is not unusual to feel “stuck” or unable to move forward when confronted with an emotional event. Temporary discomfort is normal; however a professional such as a Mental Health Counselor can assist when troubling reactions continue to interfere with one’s daily functioning. Reducing unconscious blocks can free up trapped emotional energy to be automatically applied throughout daily activities. The consideration of a knowledgeable professional is a step towards making sense of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a way that is more valuable to the individual.

- Damon Dye, 2008

Caplan, G., & Caplan, R.B. (1999). Mental health consultation and collaboration. Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press.